this site will show you a few good ways to boil (or in some cases like the perfect egg, not boil) them. I think this is the method the previous poster was speaking of; cooking them for a long time between 65c-70c.

On August 27, 2008 at 01:56 PM, an anonymous reader said...
If the shell is a problem, there is an easy solution, get rid of it before cooking.

This is how I do it:
1. Cut a square of plastic film about 25x25 cm
2. Cover the inside of a cup with the plastic film, spray the film with olive oil
3. Crack an egg in the cup, add salt and pepper to taste
4. Carefully make a small package and tie the edges with some thread (I have used dental floss)
5. Boil the egg 5 to 7 min.
6. Without pinching the egg, cut the thread and remove the egg from the plastic, sometimes it sticks, so be careful.

Ps: I learnt this technique from Jose Mari Arzak @ Restaurante Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain

I love San Sebastian. It's a great great city, especially the fireworks in summer. I would love to go back and try all the famous restaurants there. Now, maybe a stupid question: do you remove the plastic out of the cup or do you leave it in? I guess you take it out, but I'm not entirely sure from your description.

Michael, I have always heard that shocking the eggs to make them peel easier is a complete myth, and that the only thing that matters here is how young/old the eggs are. Any thoughts on this? Do you have scientific proof on the shocking-theory?

Michael, I tried this recipe (referring to immersing a pierced egg into boiling water. covereing & removing fm. heat, then allowing to simmer for 7 mins. f/b 1 min. ice water bath). The only thing I do different is eat from topped shell rather than peeling with - IMPORTANT - a horn egg spoon which doesn't interact with the egg. PERRRRRFECT! Thank you!

I think the altitude at which you are doing the cooking makes a big difference in how long you have to cook the egg. Now that we live at about 3800 feet above sea level, I have to cook soft-boiled eggs for 7 minutes.

I have eaten soft boiled eggs all my life but just recently discovered poached eggs! It is so much easier to poach the eggs, you can see them cooking and can therefore control the process, and it takes less than half the time and effort.
In a nutshell; crack your egg into a small dish and set aside while the water heats up. Boil about 1.5" water (or enough to cover the egg) and a tablespoon of white vinegar in a small fry pan, turn heat down to a simmer or very gentil boil and add one, two or three eggs. Watch the eggs simmer skimming the foam that may develop. When the white of the egg looks and acts cooked - about three or four minutes - remmove it with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain for about 10 seconds. The egg whites can be trimmed up at this point to get rid of unattractive edges. Then transfer your poached egg to your perferred dish and enjoy.

I tried your recommended method (am at sea level, so no worries about high altitude adjustments) and found it to be perfect! Served the egg in a cute little cup and took off the top, then used a little spoon to scoop out the goodness bite by bite onto whole grain toast.

In my experience I have found that you all are taking the hard way to do something simple. I have been making these since I was 12 yrs old and I am now 49, Start with cold water in the pot and insert your eggs. Place on burner on high, when the eggs and water are at a full rolling boil time them at 3 and a 1/2 min then take the pot and run cold tap water over them for 1 min. Take an eggin the palm of your hand and a butter knife, with one sharp blow to the side of the egg crack it in half and use the knife to run around the edge of the shell to release the egg, very simple and no cracked shells

The last post "is the ticket". I'm 78, have been cooking since I could reach the top of the stove, and have won prizes for my "amateur" cooking. In cookiing eggs (any style), it's all in the timing. Eggs react very quickly to heat or cold.

For soft boiled, fill the bottom half of a glass double-boiler 3/4 with cold/cool tap water. If cooking with electric, place a metal wire grid over the coil with pot on top, bring to a rolling boil over a medium-high heat (high heat may crack the glass, and also is too hot for the actual cooking.) If cooking with gas, pot can be placed directly over flame, but also at a medium-high heat. When water is rolling, gently lower eggs, one at a time, with large spoon or ladle, into water. (We recommend cooking no more than four eggs at a time.) Set timer for 3 minutes and as soon as the bell sounds, place pot in sink and run cold water into hot water in pot at full force. As soon as pot is filled to brim, gently overturn into collender.

To open, I have a wonderful tool. This is a double circle of metal with a center hole and scissor-type handles attached to the outside. When you pinch the handles together, "teeth" come out of the sides of the center hole and, placed over the small end of a soft-boiled egg placed in an egg-cup, neatly removes enough of the shell to get a small teaspoon into the
large end of the egg. You can salt and pepper through this opening so that it's ready to eat.

If you can't find this inexpensive tool at a local kitchen supplier, try sterilizing small-bladed manicure scissors in boiling water, place egg in egg-cup or dessert saucer-type dish, gently puncture small end of egg about 1/2" below top with scissors and slowly cut the top 1/2" from the rest of the egg. A small spoon, such as a demi-tasse, can be used to empty the egg into the saucer and it then can be eaten "as is" or spooned over buttered toast for a delicious breakfast. I find it much easier to eat or serve directly from the reminant portion of the shell (which also keeps the egg warm), rather than try to remove the shell from the egg and keep the white intact enough not to loose the yellow. Also, complete peeling takes longer and the egg cools too rapidly for tasty eating.

My favourite way to prepare an egg takes only a minute. Lightly spray a small dessert bowl with your favourite non-stick spray. Break the egg into the bowl. Prick the yolk with a toothpick. Nuke in microwave oven at full power for 15 seconds. Wait 15 seconds. Nuke for another 15 seconds. If you like the yolk firm, wait another 15 seconds and nuke for 15 seconds more. Serve immediately on a slice of hot buttered toast. Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper to taste.

>so where are the formulae for amount of water required per egg.
>surface area of the part being heated - of the container.
>temperature needed to achieve and sustain for soft boiled eggs.
>wider versus narrower but taller containers - which is more efficient.
>different heating sources > wood fire > coal fire > gas hob > electric hob >amount of gas / electricity used - which is better or worse and why.
>how many times have you reproduced the results successfully ?

It cracks me up how people post comments without reading anything. The poster at the top that said if she cooks for more than four minutes the yolk gets hard didn't read the recipe. He said take them of the heat immediately and let them sit in the water for 7 minutes. DUH!